ICJ to pronounce verdict on Kulbhushan Jadhav case on Wednesday

NEW DELHI: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is to pronounce its verdict in the case relating to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on death row in Pakistan, on July 17.

The ICJ, in a statement, said a public sitting will take place at 3 pm (6.30 pm IST) at the Peace Palace in The Hague, during which Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf will read out the verdict.

The court held a four-day public hearing in the case in February during which both India and Pakistan had submitted their detailed pleas and responses.

Jadhav, a retired Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism targeting the Pakistan-China economic corridor and sowing unrest in Balochistan.

India had approached the ICJ on May 2017 against Pakistan for denying consular access to Jadhav.

Attorney General of Pakistan Anwar Mansoor Khan argued before the ICJ that Jadhav was sent to Balochistan to destabilize the country and ran a network “to carry out terrorism and suicide bombing, targeted killing, kidnapping for ransom and targeted operations. His brief was to create unrest, instability and anarchy in Pakistan,” Khan claimed before the 15-judge bench.

Pakistan had claimed that its forces arrested Jadhav from restive Balochistan province on March 3, 2016, after he reportedly entered through Iran. India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests post-retirement.